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What You Need To Know Today: Election Spoiler Alert!

Good morning! While the financial crisis rages on, the campaign and the attacks go on. Today, someone says what the rest of us are thinking about Sarah Palin's foreign policy experience, Barack Obama talks about abortion and a couple of wannabe spoilers get spoiling. It's all after the jump!

Hagel on Palin Senator Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska)—one of the most well-respected Republicans on foreign policy issues in the Senate—had some strong words yesterday about Sarah Palin's claims of foreign policy experience. Those words included: "a stretch" and "insulting to the American people." Hagel, unfortunately, is retiring this year so he won't be able to do much if she gets elected and starts that war with Russia she suggested last week.

Obama Blasts McCain on Abortion After months of rumors that John McCain isn't as anti-choice as he actually is, Barack Obama decided to put an end to that fantasy. However, he's doing so very quietly, with low-profile radio advertisements and mailers so that John McCain won't be able to paint him as being too liberal for being pro-choice. That should totally fix everything.

Biden Fights Back In the face of advertisments and speeches from the GOP ticket asserting that asking the rich to pay more taxes is "just plain dumb," Joe Biden finally found his attack posture yesterday. He told his audience (and McCain and Palin by extension) that it is time to give the rich a chance to be more patriotic by requiring them to pay more taxes. Saying "I've had it up to here," he also jabbed both McCain and Palin for not holding any press conferences. For the record, I, personally, feel perfectly patriotic taking a tax cut denied to the wealthy.

Obama Polling Better After an ugly week for the Obama campaign in which McCain took the lead in national polls for the first time this year, Obama has bounced back. He's ahead again, mostly based on voter perception that he's better at the economy. This was probably boosted by McCain's various and completely conflicting economic statements this week.

Spoilers on the BallotsRalph Nader has made it onto the ballot in 45 states plus D.C. despite having no party backing and little credibility among voters, who think that he's in it for anything other than his own ego. The Green Party—abandoned by Nader because they asked him to submit to (gasp) a primary—will be on the ballot with Cynthia McKinney in 32 states and D.C. and Libertarian Bob Barr will be on the ballot in at least 44 states. Together, they look to capture about 3-4% of the vote nationally, which is far more than Al Gore lost to George Bush by in 2000. Run, Bob, run!

Do you have a favorite third-party candidate? What do you think of Sarah Palin on foreign policy? And do you feel patriotic when paying your taxes?